53
네가 네 형과 아우를 논단하였은즉 너도 네 수치를 담당할찌니라 네가 그들보다 더욱 가증한 죄를 범하므로 그들이 너보다 의롭게 되었나니 네가 네 형과 아우를 의롭게 하였은즉 너는 놀라며 네 수치를 담당할지니라
에스겔 16:53
Arcana Coelestia # 289
289. 'Wife' is used to mean the Church, in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth. This too has been shown already, while the fact that 'mother' as well has the same meaning follows from this. In the Word the Church is commonly called 'mother', as in Isaiah,
Where is your mother's bill of divorce? Isaiah 50:1.
In Jeremiah,
Your, mother has been utterly shamed, she who bore you is covered with shame. Jeremiah 50:12.
In Ezekiel,
[You are] your mother's daughter who loathes her husband and her sons. Your mother is a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Ezekiel 16:45.
Here 'husband' (vir) stands for the Lord and everything celestial, 'sons for truths of faith, 'Hittite' for falsity, and 'Amorite' for evil. In the same prophet,
Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful, full of branches by reason of many waters. Ezekiel 19:10.
Here 'mother' stands for the Ancient Church. The Most Ancient Church is pre-eminently called a 'mother' because it was the first Church, and the only one to be celestial. For that reason it was the Lord's beloved more than any other.
